Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-06-24
her OF my hope OF naeAting Herbert

her OF my hope OF Meeting Herber,
Stacy. zz='. I. 81. & z.. s: IS 3.
After a brief, bitter conflict with
myself I said: 81 will go back to Pieve
with YOU" And as uttered these
words felt mentally all the torture
which the wriggling saints on the wall
expressed in their bodies. !,
''But. dear child, you will miss the
fete; there is not time for BOTH =
."Neyer mind that. I didn't feel
much interest in it, anyway. It was
the-the scenery I liked, and we have
had the best OF it already" 1 was
determined to play my part of mar
tyr gracefully, even at the expense OF
truth.
Show good of you, Kate! hated
more than words can express to 20
alone among all those queer people.
l couldn't explain my mission, and
they would probably think me a
murderess. Never mind! I will take
you to Venice next year, if I have to
go in rags to accomplish it,
"Alas! next year there will be no
Herbert" thought, regretfully.
An ill-assorted pair OF steeds at
tached to an Anticipated vehicle took
us and the poor baby back to Pieve
at an irritating jog-trot. l didn't
care whether Titan was born
there, or born at all, for
that matter, and vouchsafed hardly
a glance at his house as we passed. I
was too downcast and disappointed
(though strove to conceal my feel
ings from Margaret) even to feel
amusement at the ridiculous errand
upon which we had come.
1t was as Margaret feared; the black
box containing the violin had been
taken by mistake from the diligence
received and wept over as holding the
defunct baby, and as such had been
buried, with an accompaniment OF
wax tapers and dyed immortelles, the
previous afternoon.
Our story collected about us what
seemed to be the whole village, open
eyed, opened-mouthed, and these feat.
ures, when Italian, can accomplish
wondrous flashing and chattering I'm.
der excitement
The veritable baby was followed to
the churchyard by a procession which
would have delighted the soul OF its
mother, could the poor woman have
seen it.
After Margaret and I had undergone,
from judicial authority, q fire of cross
questioning, beginning with the maid
en- name Of our respective mothers,
and ending with our opinion OF Tyrol-
can scenery, the men we had engaged
were allowed to raze the little mound
which covered Margaret's treasure.
AS the grave was opened q great
many blue linen aprons were pressed
to fine dark eyes, sobs broke from
linen-coyered bosoms hung with
chains OF more or less claims to ster-
ling worth, and heads wreathed in
black bralds thrust through with sill
yer pins, bobbed to and fro with emo
ton. This exhibition of sentiment
seemed out of place over the remains
OF a. fiddle, but it was easier for the
peasant women to weep over a grave,
as was their wont, than to discrimi-
nate.
The box was taken out, and even
margaret ADMITTED That the violin
appeared to be uninjured. We waited
while they buried the poor little baby.
and think our Offering OF a big bunch
OF garden roses raired us to the rank
OF royalty in the estimation OF the
simple folk of Pieve.
Three months later, when our Tyrol-
can trip was Of the past and lessons
had begun again in Munich, Uncle
Robert wrote me bitter news. Madge
Laurie was engaged to Mr.. Herbert
Stacy, q very agreeable fellow, whom
they had met in Venice.
| thereupon gave the mendacious
hollywood bear to Gretchen, our cham
bermald, and told Leonard he might
walk. home with me from the lectures
on perspective.
He need never know that I use HIM
as a salve to patch my broken
heart.-The Argosy.